Pakistan Air Force jet crashes; 2 pilots killed

A China-made trainer aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) crashed in Punjab province on Tuesday, killing both pilots aboard. "A PAF FT-7 aircraft on a routine operational training mission crashed near Mianwali, some 300 kms from Lahore," the PAF said in a statement.

Both pilots - Squadron Leader Haris bin Khalid and Flying Officer Ibaad ur Rehman - lost their lives in the crash, it said. A board of inquiry has been ordered by the Air Headquarters to determine the cause of the accident.

The plane fell in an open area in Mianwali which is also the native town of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the bodies to the combined military hospital. They have also cordoned off the area.

According to an official, the pilots did not seem to have got the chance to eject before the crash.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)